1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors, particularly multi-contact electrical connectors, of the type having contact terminals therein which displace insulation about wires as they are moved laterally of their axes and into wire receiving slots.
2. The Prior Art
Insulation displacing connectors of the type having slots therein are well known. These offer the advantage that contact terminals may be preloaded in a connector housing, then individual conductors may be connected to the terminals by a relatively simple wire insertion operation. As a wire is inserted, substantial forces are imposed on the terminal as insulation is displaced and conductors are forced into undersized slots. The construction of the connector must account for these forces in order to prevent damage.
The insertion force problem becomes pronounced as the size of the terminal decreases, since thinner metal is used in the terminal to meet the size limitation, or thinner metal may be used to meet cost limitations. This problem is specifically addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,158, where shoulder surfaces are provided in the connector housing to support the terminal under the conductor receiving end thereof. This design, however, is only adapted to connectors where the wires enter at right angles to the axis of the housing.